The Detroit Lions didn't trade up for Sammy Watkins, or even Mike Evans.

They just acquired a "glorified wide receiver" in North Carolina's Eric Ebron with the 10th overall pick, says ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

Ebron, officially listed as a tight end, rarely plays along the line of scrimmage. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, Ebron had 62 catches for 973 yards and three touchdowns for the Tar Heels last season.

His best game came against Miami, with eight catches for 199 yards and a TD.

"I thought they might go Odell Beckham Jr," Kiper said. "They wanted a weapon for Matthew Stafford, that third receiver. What Ebron is, is a glorified wide receiver. Talk about a great athlete with tremendous speed. He can stretch that deep middle area, he can make some circus catches."

Just don't ask him to block, apparently.

"I don't even know why we call him a tight end," ESPN's Jon Gruden said. "When I watch Ebron play, I don't see him playing as a tight end. A tight end to me plays tight on the end of the line scrimmage. He blocks at the point of attack, he pass protects. This kid will help him in the middle of the football field, but I want to see Detroit run out the clock at the end of games."

NFL Network's Mike Mayock attended Ebron's pro day and said everything was "easy." He's the first tight end to go in the top 10 since Vernon Davis in 2006.

"People ask me to compare him to Vernon Davis," Mayock said. "He's not as quick or twitchy, but he's a better athlete, with better hands. He's a little different type of tight end, but trust me everything this kid does is easy. He's one of the best athletes I've seen for that size."

Said NFL Network's Steve Mariucci: "Matthew Stafford is the luckiest guy in the world right now. They might throw for 5,000 yards every single year of Matthew Stafford's career with guys like this."